here," he said gravely. "You won't take any
pictures at this marae without the permis
sion of the elders. We are not impressed by
pretty books."
Inaccurate journalism has made many
Maoris mistrustful of reporters. Maori tra
dition requires the utmost accuracy in spo
ken accounts, and they now expect the same
of the written word, often in vain. Commer
cialization of Maori culture by pakeha also
adds to resentment: The people often con
sider such presentations profane. Maori cul
ture is not for sale.
The man returned to his chores. We fol
lowed and apologized for causing alarm. He
pointed to a huge mound of unpeeled pota
toes: "Get yourselves some knives. Without
this food, there will be no hui." A quick smile
warmed his severe face. We had shown hu
mility, much cherished among his people.
T HUS we entered Maoridom peeling
potatoes, learning to hongi, and fi
nally plunging into this feasting,
laughing, singing crowd of Ngati Porou.
The people welcomed us as visitors, and
their exuberance helped us enjoy the festive
mood. But alert eyes rested on our tape re
corders and camera cases, which remained
shut on this and many future occasions.
Not long after the hui we sat in the kitchen
of Tom Fox, a member of the New Zealand
Maori Council, an advisory body of the gov
ernment. Like most Maori farmers on the
coast, Tom runs sheep and cattle on his
ancestral land. Our talk that day was not of
agriculture but of fate.
"We believe that we inherit our abilities,"
Tom said. A thickset, balding man, Tom
spoke with care. His infant grandson slept in
his arms. "Unless a Maori was born to be a
leader, he seldom asserts himself. But this
humility often hurts him in his dealings with
the aggressive, competitive pakeha."
I wondered why Tom had stayed here
while so many others had moved to the cit
ies. For all its beauty, the coast today is one
of the most isolated and economically ne
glected parts of New Zealand.
He smiled, remembering. "Oh, the temp
tations. People wrote home: 'Come, money
everywhere.'
But we kept the home fires
burning for the Ngati Porou, and now some
are returning."
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